herzog wrote:I'm not sure this is right. My understanding is that as a cyclist you "own" the lane you are in and are perfectly entitled to move about within the lane as required by the conditions (eg avoiding glass or potholes). This is what the notion of "taking the lane" is based on.

It is up to those passing to either change lanes completely or pass you safely within your lane (cyclists only) at THEIR responsibility.

"Taking the lane" is a psychological strategy to gain yourself the necessary road space for travel. Within the lane you still need to maintain a predictable line, and signal any deviation from that. It's in our road rules:

148 Giving way when moving from one marked lane or line of traffic to another marked lane or line of traffic.....

148A Giving way when moving within a single marked laneIf a driver diverges to the left or right within a marked lane, the driver must give way to any vehicle that is in the lane.

I believe it is implicit in this rule that you indicate you movements.

human909 wrote:I would argue that if she feels it necessary to sit in the middle of the lane then that is her prerogative. I would argue the same thing about a typical width vehicle lane in which a cyclist choose the centre line

Fine. However she has a legal obligation to maintain a largely predictable course (see my post above about Rule 148A)

twizzle wrote:Slowed down behind a casual commuter on the on-road lane this morning, it unsafe to overtake as the traffic was stationary and there just wasn't room. The traffic started to move, the commuter I was following started to slow and move into a driveway to exit the on-road lane, I started to move right so I could accelerate... when suddenly a bike went down the outside of me at speed squeezing between myself and the car I was next to. Within 20 seconds I had overtaken him, given him a piece of my mind, and another 200m up the road got stopped by a red traffic light and had the opportunity to give him a real serve.

His excuse? "I would have crashed into the back of you if I hadn't overtaken". Maybe, just maybe, given how angry I was, he might give it a second thought next time.

I made a similar (non contact) mistake going round a left turning car stopped waiting for a pedestrian a couple of months ago, though I blamed me, rather than the other rider - Pretty much a basic cycling fail if you diverge right and don't check first.

KenGS wrote:Anyone a sensible distance from the gutter leaves inadequate passing space - especially with the bollards and car doors on the right.

This is my general thoughts. Fundamentally there is not alot of space for two bikes.

jules21 wrote:come on H he was clear that she was "veering around", not just sitting in the middle of the lane (which would be fine, in my view).

veering around is not OK though, no more than it is OK for cars to veer around. you need to hold your line. or at least, be able to respond when someone calls out that they're passing.

I struggle to believe that somebody, even a "chic lady cyclist" would ride up all of Albert street veering around. I assumed that was summernights artistic license for describing that she was taking up the whole lane. It is an interesting coincidence that such comments also arise from motorists when cyclists are in the middle of a lane. In short I have have little to indicate that the straightness of her line is any worse than the average cyclists. In fact, she sounds like what you should expect from the ideal average cyclist.

As above. If she genuinely was weaving erratically then there is a possibility of objection. But the more PLAUSIBLE scenario was she was simply riding in the middle and giving no safe passing room.

My point is that motorists object to cyclists being SLOW, WOBBLY and taking up the whole lane. I think we should think twice and then think again before we complain about other cyclists being slow and wobbly!

I do think that if I came upon a cyclist riding slowly, wobbling about, on a bike path or Copenhagen-lane, and I had ring my bell or called out, but they could not hear me because of a screaming music player..... I'd be pretty p!$$ed off for sure.

And before you say "deaf cyclist", a good mate of mine is one such person. He always rides with a rear-view mirror and uses it.

I saw a very silly cyclist this morning as I was driving to work in the rain. She was riding a big blue tricyle and took the route marked by the red line in the picture. Fine you might think... except she was riding North, up my map. It was peak hour, and she pushed out into the middle of Marion Road from Aldridge Avenue, expecting everyone to stop for her, then cycled up the wrong side of the road all the way to the lights and round the corner

Some days you just shake your head - coming down the hill from the lights at Gipps St & Lyons Road being followed by an e-bike rider. Not sure if he was peeved that he couldn't keep up with a fat old bloke riding at the speed limit so at the roundabout at Byrne Avenue & The Parade he decides to take a shortcut - yep instead of staying in the lane and turning right around the roundabout like any sane person, he cuts across the double white lines, dodges the traffic furniture & goes the wrong way around.

I don't know if he was peeved his electric motor couldn't keep up with an old fat bloke sitting on the speed limit with all of a 38-11 gear or if he is just tired of living but it is pretty much the dumbest thing I have seen on a bike that I wasn't riding.

Last edited by find_bruce on Mon Feb 25, 2013 9:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.

find_bruce wrote:Some days you just shake your head - coming down the hill from the lights at Gipps St & Lyons Road being followed by an e-bike rider. Not sure if he was peeved that he couldn't keep up with a fat old bloke riding at the speed limit so at the roundabout at Byrne Avenue & The Parade he decides to take a shortcut - yep instead of staying in the lane and turning right around the roundabout like any sane person, he cuts across the double white lines, dodges the traffic furniture & goes the wrong way around.

find_bruce wrote:Some days you just shake your head - coming down the hill from the lights at Gipps St & Lyons Road being followed by an e-bike rider. Not sure if he was peeved that he couldn't keep up with a fat old bloke riding at the speed limit so at the roundabout at Byrne Avenue & The Parade he decides to take a shortcut - yep instead of staying in the lane and turning right around the roundabout like any sane person, he cuts across the double white lines, dodges the traffic furniture & goes the wrong way around.

I don't know if he was peeved his electric motor couldn't keep up with an old fat bloke sitting on the speed limit with all of a 38-11 gear or if he is just tired of living but it is pretty much the dumbest thing I have seen on a bike that I wasn't riding.

on the way home last night going along the bicentennial bikeway. through the roadwork zone. let's say I was doing 11km/h *cough*i noticed a female, no helmet, on a citycycle ahead of me. she was riding on the centre line. As I get closer I yell "on your right"said city-cycle rider moves right heavy brakes applied

jasonc wrote:on the way home last night going along the bicentennial bikeway. through the roadwork zone. let's say I was doing 11km/h *cough*i noticed a female, no helmet, on a citycycle ahead of me. she was riding on the centre line. As I get closer I yell "on your right"said city-cycle rider moves right heavy brakes applied

That's why with most commuters I try not to tell them what side I'm passing on - as the last thing they hear is 'right' and it sticks. For a group of cyclists who know what they are doing I'd probably say passing on your right, but I've devolved to just saying 'passing', waiting for the commuter in front of me to pick a line and hold it, and then passing on the right. She may have gone right no matter what you said though.

jasonc wrote:on the way home last night going along the bicentennial bikeway. through the roadwork zone. let's say I was doing 11km/h *cough*i noticed a female, no helmet, on a citycycle ahead of me. she was riding on the centre line. As I get closer I yell "on your right"said city-cycle rider moves right heavy brakes applied

That's why with most commuters I try not to tell them what side I'm passing on - as the last thing they hear is 'right' and it sticks. For a group of cyclists who know what they are doing I'd probably say passing on your right, but I've devolved to just saying 'passing', waiting for the commuter in front of me to pick a line and hold it, and then passing on the right. She may have gone right no matter what you said though.

I was definitely in between a rock and a hard place - actually between her and the temporary fence. a fellow commuter suggested she looked like a backpacker/tourist.

I believe there is a funny psychological response at work here - often to call ".....right!" at a sudden, late stage, will cause a person to respond in that direction as a virtually autonomic reaction . Not the desired response. Once some years ago I managed to called "Passing on the left" as I was actually passing right. Happily the person moved to the left

Call early to get a more logical response. Another reason why I have used a bell for the past 7-8 years. Less chance for any confusion - it's just a sound, and I always try to ring early.

Riding home tonight around 7pm on the MYT up the crest at Morell Bridge, I see two (large) women walking towards me. Each was taking up a full lane, one on the wrong side of the path. I got eye contact with the woman on my side and rang my bell say 100m ahead (she could have seen me for hundreds of metres as it was still light and sight distance is good there). But she didn't move a millimetre. I got closer, slowing down at this point. Still no movement- she just looks straight at me with as if I am to ride around her off the path. As I got within 20m, I shouted "Get out of the way!", a braked hard. Finally she moves ever so slightly and yells expletive-laden abuse at me as I passed her. A complete oxygen thief.

98octane wrote:Riding home tonight around 7pm on the MYT up the crest at Morell Bridge, I see two (large) women walking towards me. Each was taking up a full lane, one on the wrong side of the path. I got eye contact with the woman on my side and rang my bell say 100m ahead (she could have seen me for hundreds of metres as it was still light and sight distance is good there). But she didn't move a millimetre. I got closer, slowing down at this point. Still no movement- she just looks straight at me with as if I am to ride around her off the path. As I got within 20m, I shouted "Get out of the way!", a braked hard. Finally she moves ever so slightly and yells expletive-laden abuse at me as I passed her. A complete oxygen thief.

Quick, you can borrow mine...

...whatever the road rules, self-preservation is the absolute priority for a cyclist when mixing it with motorised traffic.London Boy 29/12/2011

Hmm... yes I'm waiting for the next one of those because I plan to just ride straight up the path not moving from the centre of my lane, and brake to a halt right in front of him/her. With suitable 'advice' about trail use

The very exact same thing happened to me today. I was riding along the Kedron Brook Cycleway and two fat people took up the whole pathway coming towards me. 50m away they didn't move so I turned the light from low constant to flash. 15m still no sign of direction of them moving so the light went to the constant 1200 lumens. 10m in front and I yell out "f****** move!" to which they start ranting. I'm always courtious, slow down to pass, give plenty of room but I seriously can not stand these idiots that can't take a couple one steps to the left. Might be time to buy an airzound and just blast it while maintaing speed towards them.

The last one - a middle aged lady couldn't hear bells, she couldn't hear me shouting at full volume when I was right behind her going at 10km/h. Stupid and dangerous...

As I went past I threw one hand up in the air, shook my head and point to my ear. Hope she got the message. I'm now very aggressive about that now - especially given that I slow right down to go around them. Same with the folk who won't move over, or walk on the wrong side. Had one of those too.

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